


A Promise Made, A Promise Kept

by Tarnit



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors
Genre: Gen, mild violence, protective volga, young Link - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-02-23
Packaged: 2018-03-14 19:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3422672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarnit/pseuds/Tarnit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Many faces Volga has seen over the ages, but only one he keeps close to his heart; one he had sworn, and failed, to protect many years ago. Granted a chance at redemption, he refuses to fail his young friend again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Promise Made, A Promise Kept

Screams of agonized death throes rang out, the churning scent of burning flesh filling his keen senses, and still the dragon knight marched relentlessly onward. Foes that survived a meeting with his pike, soon fell beneath the onslaught of claw and flame. None could stand before him as he fought to escape his own mind, to forget the servitude he was bound in, to bring honour to the name of the dragonkin despite the witch he was forced to kneel before. 

The sorceress had many enemies alongside her servants when she had opened the portals through time. Volga cared not for their purposes, only that they stood between him and a victory that would secure his own freedom. 

He had faltered but once, seeing Darunia returned to stand by the warrior clad in green. His advance had stumbled, memories briefly overtaking what he saw in the present. With a snarl and vicious shake of his helm, the dragon tore himself free of the illusion, blows gaining a fearsome ferocity. Emotions had no place on the battlefield, especially those of a time long lost. 

Volga had not seen a whisper of the impostor this day. Silently grateful for the reprieve within his ravaged mind, he found a nearly therapeutic momentum to his swings until a different cry, higher and laced with innocence, rang out above the cacophony of death. 

His helm snapped to the side, hidden eyes scouring the field with an instinctual intensity. No. There was no way. It couldn’t be. Surely his mind was fraying worse than he had believed if it were conjuring such blatant lies to his other senses. A heated breath was huffed through his nose. A figment of his imagination, that was all. 

About to turn away, he spotted a flash of green, a flicker of blonde, through the hordes around him. Moving before his mind could comprehend what he had seen, Volga threw aside all who stood between him and his goal. Enemy and ally alike either scattered or were struck down. 

With a gasp, he skidded to a halt. There, before him, as real and living as if not a day had passed between them, was Link. His Link. The same quirky little elf boy who had tended to a foolish hatchling who had strayed too far from his volcanic nest. His friend… 

“We’ll be together forever!” 

His chest tightened at the promise he had not been strong enough to fulfill. Too weak to fight against the curse that forced him to attack the one he had sworn to protect. 

Gripping his pike, he charged forward. He would not fail a second time. 

He beat away an oncoming lizalfo, ignoring said creature’s brief call of confusion before it was slain. Not even his allied forces were going to lay a glance on his young charge. Circling Link, he twirled his pike in warning, firey breath warding away any others who were stupid enough to stray too close.  
Content for the moment that their quiet corner of the battlefield would not be disturbed, Volga turned to greet the child, only to meet the end of a dagger held in a shaking hand. His flames died down, an inner disappointment forcefully smothered with them. Of course the other would not recognize him, being both an adult and human in appearance now. 

Kneeling, he lay his weapon on the ground and held his hands before him. There was nothing to fear from his friend, and if any foolish enough to approach deserved to die for forgetting a dragon was never without his fangs. 

“Link…” Palms up, he held his hands before him. The eyes of the child still held no remembrance. 

Clearly actions over words were needed here. Volga stepped back, far enough that he wouldn’t harm Link, but not to insinuate a departure. Summoning an ancient calling deep within, his limbs grew, body elongating in a serpentine fashion as wings sprouted from his back. Though changed from his form ages ago, bright emerald eyes still shone strong from within the silver horned skull. 

Circling his long body around the child, Volga was pleased to see Link lowering his sword. The sudden tears, however, took him by surprise. Link was shaking, eyes wide as he followed the dragon’s movements. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! Link shouldn’t be afraid of him! 

Head lowering, at a loss for what to do next, Volga was unprepared for a small set of arms to latch about his snout. 

“Volvagia!” 

Volga perked, spirits lifting at the deeply familiar call of a name he had not heard for many years. Settling on the ground, he wrapped his tail about them in a lazy spiral, keeping his young charge close and surrounded by his larger, tougher body. With great care, he nuzzled his snout against the small chest, resting his chin on the ground as Link hugged him tighter. 

“Yes, Link. I’m here, I promised I would be,” he murmured in return. “I am sorry I was gone for so long.” 

The child didn’t respond with words, he rarely did. Instead, Link clambered up to lay on the warm belly of the dragon, tired of fighting a battle that was not his and safe in the arms of his dearest friend. Careful of his claws, Volga returned the embrace. 

How long they lay there, Volga was not certain, but by the time he heard the war horn signalling a victory for his allies, Link had long since dozed off against him. He wanted nothing more than to curl down again and rest with his friend, but the poisonous curse twisted around his soul was sinking its fangs in again, bidding him to return to the witch. 

With a sigh, he regretfully nudged the child awake from his slumber, internally aching as Link yawned and rubbed his eye with a balled fist. War was no place for a child, especially one under his care. Unfortunately, there were no other options for him. The best thing he could do was hurry to help Cia win the war, so he could be freed to whisk his charge away to be raised and trained like a proper hatchling. 

When Link stood before him once more, Volga allowed his form to retreat into its human guise once again. Then, kneeling before his friend, he placed his hands on either shoulder and gave a small squeeze. 

“You have to return to the others now, do you understand? I can’t follow yet, but I will come for you soon.” I promise.

He tugged Link against him in a final, lingering hug, reluctant to leave. As the horns sounded again, however, the tug in his chest grew stronger. Pulling back, the knight returned the dagger to the young warrior and retrieved his own pike. 

“If you ever have need of me, merely call. The winds will deliver your message to me.” 

Link nodded, and with a final, tight, hug around Volga’s middle, he dashed toward his retreating allies. The dragon knight watched over until the child was no longer in sight, remaining there for a long moment afterwards until his mistress’ call grew too aggressive to ignore and he was forced to take flight and return to her side. 

A single thought beat in time with his powerful wings. 

He would not fail Link a second time.


End file.
